Cold control for refrigerating units



Jan. 29, 1935. H, MacGRATH Q 1,989,144

COLD CONTROL FOR REFRIGERATING UNITS Filed. Jan. 9, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet1 Qwuanfoz Jan. 29, 1935. H. F. M GRATH 1,989,144

COLD CONTROL FOR REFRIGERATING UNITS Filed Jan. 9, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 2Ji -i;

gwue/ntoz sag Jan. 29, 1935.- H MacGRATH 1,989,144

COLD CONTROL FOR REFRIGERATING UNITS Filed Jan. 9, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3Q/awid EJ4 6102! Patented Jan. 29, 1935 UNlTED STATE PATENT OFFICE coLncommon. roa REFRIGERATING UNliTS Harold F. MacGrath, Detroit, Mich,assignor to Seeger Refrigerator Company, St. Paul, Minn, a corporationof Minnesota Application January 9, 1930, Serial No. 419,507

2 Claims.

the efiiciency of the refrigerating unit so that the ice may be mademore rapidly bythe same, such as the making of the ice cubes inthe traysprovided. I have arranged a simple and efiective means adaptable to anyrefrigerating unit which does not interfere withthe ordinary structureof the unit or place any additional burden upon the same, but operatesto confine the unit within a closure, so as.to speak, and prevents'thecirculation. which would ordinarily take place about the unit throughthe entire refrigerator from affecting the unit, thus increasing theefficiency very quickly so that the unit may operate to freeze ice in aremarkably short time.

A feature resides in means of confining the refrigerating unit within asmall space which materially increases the efficiency so that therefrigerating unit can operate to freeze ice, desserts or othermaterials within said space rapidly.

A further feature of the invention resides in means, for closing therefrigerating unit into a, compartment which is confined and thusincrease the efilciency for the purpose of more-rapidly freezing ice ordesserts by the refrigerating unit.

The invention further includes a shutter means which may be placed closeto the unit at the bottom and sidefihereof so as to confine the unitwithin a compartment and prevent circulation from the unit \to theremainder of the ice box wherein the unit is placed, thus increasing thefreezing efiiciency of the unit without changing the operating means andcontrol thereof.

It is also a feature to provide means wherein the drain pan orreceptacle associated with the refrigerating unit may be positionedoutside of the compartment ordinarily containing the refrigerating unit,and my air circulating control about the unit, or the drain pan may beplaced within the compartment and the air shutter or control for thecirculation about theunit positioned outside of the'drain pan so as toconfine the drain pan within the same compartment wherein therefrigerating unit is confined.

These features with other objects and details wili be more fully andclearly set forth in the spwiflcation and claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification:

Figure 1 illustrates a partial detail of a refrigerator showing my coldcontrol associated with the refrigerating unit of the refrigerator.

Figure 2 is a similar front view to Figure 1, showing a detail of arefrigerator with a refrigerating unit and my cold control associatedtherewith with sh'utter means at the top and bottom of the refrigeratingunit compartment.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig- 10 ure 2.

Figure 4 is a front detail of 'a portion of a refrigerator, showing therefrigerating unit with my cold control associated therewith and whereinthe drain pan for the refrigerating unitis confined within therefrigerating unit compartment.

In the drawings the refrigerator A is illustrated diagrammatically andonly a portion of the same being illustrated to indicate the position ofthe refrigerating unit B which is positioned in the refrigeratingcompartment 10 of the refrigerator A. The refrigerating unit B may be ofany suitable type, such as are used with electrically operatedrefrigerators and wherein the refrigerating unit B operates to providethe refrigerant for the refrigerator A to supply the necessary means ofrefrigerating the inner compartment of the refrigerator A.

My cold control C is of a simple structure, being positioned beneath therefrigerating unit B and having an inwardly inclined tray-like member 11which is adapted to direct any moisture from the unit B when the unit isdefrigerated, into the removable drain pan 12 which is positioneddirectly below the cold control C. The cold control C is provided with aslidable shutter 14 in the bottom of the same which operates by engagingthe front lip 15 and moving the shutter so that it will open or closethe opening 16 in the bottom of the tray 11.

The cold control C is simple to operate and being positioned near therefrigerating unit B when the shutter 14 is operated to close theopening 16, the refrigerating unit B is confined within the compartment10 to the extent of retarding the circulation of cold coming of! of therefrigerating unit B and preventing the cold air from circulating downinto the food compartments 18 of the refrigerator wherein the shelves 19are positioned, and thus the refrigerating unit B will operate toquickly freeze ice within the refrigerating unit trays 20. It is notnecessary to change the operation or to increase the working load of therefrigerating unit B by means ofmy cold control and the operation issimple in that it is only necessary to close the shutter 14. Therefrigerating unit B ordinarily operates with the shutter 14 open sothat the cold air may pass downward through the openings 16 andcirculate through the food compartments 18 of the refrigerator in theordinary manner. However, when the shutter 14 is closed the same beingpositioned directly below the unit B, the refrigerating unit B becomesmore eflicient to operate in the freezing of ice in the trays 20 andthus accomplishing a desired result in a much shorter period than wherethe circulation is free to pass over the unit B into the entirerefrigerator A.

My cold control C may also be operated with the supplemental coldcontrol C which constitutes a series of shutters positioned in the sidewall 21 of the refrigerating unit compartment 10 operating as movablelouvers which may be opened or closed to shut oil the circulation intothe compartment 10 and thus increase the efficiency in the matter offreezing icein the trays 20 of the refrigerating unit.'This auxiliarycontrol C further increases the efficiency of the refrigerating unit Band my cold control C may be operated with or without this auxiliarycold control C. The shutting off of the circulation by the cold controlC directly below the refrigerating unit B materially increases thefreezing action of the ice within the trays 20. To use the auxiliarycold control C in conjunction with the cold control C tends to increasethe efficiency even to a greater extent and thus by means of my coldcontrol means associated with a refrigerating unit and the formation ofa refrigerator in this manner provides a means of easily and simplycontrolling the matter of more quickly freezing ice in the trays 20.

In Figure 4 I have illustrated the drain tray 12 positioned entirelywithin the unit compartment 10 and the cold control shutter C ispositioned below the tray 12. The upper auxiliary shutter C is in aslidable form instead of the louver form as in Figures 2 and 3, however,the functions and operations are identical in this structure as in thoseheretofore described. My cold control accomplishes a long desiredresultant because where refrigerating units, such as B, are used in homerefrigerators or in other places where the refrigerating unit B isequipped with ice trays, such as 20, it is often desirable to freeze icein these trays as rapidly as possible and to accomplish this my coldcontrol operates very effectively. The cold control C can be easilyoperated and when the same is operated to freeze ice in the trays 20 itcan be opened and the refrigeration in the refrigerator A continues in anormal manner. Where the single control C is used as in Figure 1, belowthe refrigerating unit B, the circulation is not entirely shut off fromthe remainder or food compartments 18 of the refrigerator A, and eventhough the housewife should forget to open the cold control shutter 14,no material damage would be done to the food in the compartments 18 suchas will take place in present cold controls for refrigerating unitswhich, when forgotten to be readjusted, will freeze everything in therefrigerator hard as ice, and thus such a control is detrimental andundesirable. My cold control C overcomes these undesirable features andif only the-single control C is used below the unit suflicientrefrigeration will escape to thecompartments 18 in the food chambers ofthe refrigerator A to ordinarily keep the food from spoiling until thehousewife again opens the shutter 14.

It is apparent that the shutter 14- may be opened or closed entirely ormay be adjusted to only partially close off the openings 16 in the trayportion 11 so that the shutter may be adjusted according to the desireof the user of the refrigerator A.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described the principlesof operation of my cold control and while I have set forth andillustrated certain forms and construction thereof, I desire to have itunderstood that the same is only suggestive of a means of carrying outthe principles of my invention and it is obvious that other formationsand adaptations may be employed without departing from the purpose andintent of the invention.

I claim:

1. A refrigerator including, a refrigerator unit, a compartment forenclosing the same, an inwardly inclined tray-like member at the bottomof said compartment, a perforated bottom in said tray-like member, meansfor adjustably closing said perforations, and means for catchingmoisture passing through said perforations.

2. A refrigerator including, a refrigerator unit, a compartment forenclosing said unit having side walls, an inwardly inclined tray securedto the bottom of said side walls, a perforated bottom on said tray,means for adjustably closing said perforations, and air deflector meanspositioned immediate beneath said bottom.

HAROLD F. MACGRATH.

